Shloka 6
Droṇa-parva Adhyāya 49: Yudhiṣṭhira’s Lament and Strategic Foreboding after Abhimanyu’s Fall
तस्याश्वान् गदया हत्वा तथोभौ पार्ष्णिसारथी । शराचिताड्: सौभद्र: श्वाविद्वत् समदृश्यत,उस गदासे अभश्र॒ृत्थामाके चारों घोड़ों तथा दोनों पार्श्वरक्षकोंको मारकर बाणोंसे भरे हुए शरीरवाला सुभद्राकुमार साहीके समान दिखायी देने लगा
sa tasyāśvān gadayā hatvā tathobhau pārṣṇisārathī | śarācitāṅgaḥ saubhadraḥ śvāvidvat samadṛśyata ||
Sañjaya said: Having struck down his opponent’s horses with his mace, and likewise killing the two flank-guards and the charioteer, the son of Subhadrā stood with his body bristling with arrows—appearing like a porcupine. The verse underscores the grim ethic of battlefield duty: valor and skill are displayed amid relentless violence, where even attendants and horses become casualties in the pursuit of victory.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the harsh reality of kṣatriya warfare: prowess and resolve are praised, yet the ethical weight of battle is evident as even non-heroic attendants and animals fall. It invites reflection on duty performed in a violent context and the human cost embedded in martial success.
Sañjaya describes Abhimanyu (Saubhadra) in the thick of combat: he kills the enemy’s horses with a mace and also kills the charioteer and two side-guards. His body is so covered with arrows that he looks like a porcupine.